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Dated 1993, this significant piece is one of the earliest works to spark the birth of the Jalaini Abu Hassan’s homecoming Lifeform series, which emerged from his MFA studies at the Pratt Institute in New York. A process artist with a dedication to push boundaries of both traditional and experimental media, Jalaini, or popularly known as Jai, has always believed that he is more of a drawer than a painter. ‘Drawing has its own autonomous criteria,’ said Jai. ‘It’s a finished work of art by itself. It’s no longer a supportive element or subordinate to the painting or sculpture.’

The Lifeform series saw Jai producing drawings in large formats for the very first time. Inspired by the writings of Rumi and al Ghazali, as well as a visit to the Natural History Museum in New York, this series of work addresses the visual dialogue between artist and nature; interior and exterior world; micro and macro. In Stretched Form, Jai transformed a tiny humble seashell into a monumental form that looms large, leading the eye through the vigourous and fluid strokes, where the process of Jai sculpting the biomorphic form out of compressed charcoal unfolds right in front of the viewer. The attention to form executed with fervent immediacy and intuition is a result of Jai’s exposure to the traditional and conservative art-making approach at Slade and the freewheeling and experimental influence from Pratt. Sold even before the Lifeform exhibition in Taksu Gallery in 1996, Stretched Form will now appear on public view for the very first time.

Jai is one of the most established contemporary Malaysian artists who received his education at UiTM (Universiti Teknologi MARA) and scholarship awards at the prestigious institutions of the Slade School of Fine Arts in London and the Pratt Institute in New York, where he obtained his MA and MFA respectively. Jai is interested in the exploration of the act of creation that goes into forming a work, the exploration of materials and mediums, and the marks that form a drawing, always pushing his own boundaries in the search for new processes; working towards presenting a Malaysian visual vernacular, one whose meaning would undoubtedly speak of his identity and culture. Acclaimed both locally and internationally, Jai’s notable solo exhibitions include shows in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and New York; where he recently showed Bangsawan Kebangsaan at Tyler Rollins Fine Art in April 2011. His works are held in the collection of National Visual Arts Gallery, Malaysia and in private, corporate and institutional collections around the world.